A worker chatted to her colleagues about what they’d do if they won the lottery - not realising she'd already had.
Suzy Fenton, 44, scooped £10K a month on the National Lottery’s ‘Set For Life’ game, during the record-breaking heatwave and celebrated by buying an air conditioning unit with her windfall.
“I was literally sitting chatting in work with my colleagues about what we would all do if we won the lottery – not knowing that I was actually already a winner!” she said.
“We were saying; ‘what would you do if you won the lottery, would you still work?'
"I remember saying I think it would depend how much I’d won.
“One of my colleagues said I would be off like the road runner and another said they would carry on working and we all looked at her.”
It was not until the next night, on Wednesday evening, Suzy, who lives with partner of 25 years Ian, 51, an electrical estimator and their Westie-Poo Flynn in Wakefield, West Yorks, actually got round to checking her numbers.
She said: “I thought I’d better go and double check and it said ‘Congratulations, you’ve won’.
"But I’m thinking there’s no funds in my account. I followed it through onto the ticket and it said ‘you’re a winner’.
“To be honest it took me ages to work out the little writing underneath because my eyesight is so bad.
“I looked at my other half and said; ‘I think I’ve won something on the lottery’ and he said ‘what do you think you’ve got?
"I told him; ‘I think I’ve won 10,000 a month for a year. I’m not entirely sure.
“I went upstairs and with the dog on my knee I phoned them and she said; ‘Yes, you’ve won’.
"I just could not believe it. I shouted: ‘Dreams really do come true!’ ”
“Ian was over the moon. For the pair of us, it just means so much. He was grateful for air-conditioning as he has been working from home since the pandemic.”
Suzy says she may now work part-time and will be having laser eye surgery after struggling to even see if she’d won.
The lottery winner added: “I’ve got horrendous eyesight. I’m as blind as a bat without my glasses so I’m going to see if I’m eligible for laser eye surgery.
“I had a consultation years ago but it was not something I was going to be able to afford then because my prescription is so bad.”
Suzy had decided to have a go at ‘Set For Life’ with some spare funds in her National Lottery account but switched her numbers at the last minute.
She said: “I wasn’t really feeling my normal numbers so I decided to play numbers which I felt were lucky for me and close to my heart, such as birthdays and favourite numbers – and this certainly worked!”
The customer services administrator, said it was an “amazing” time to win because like everyone, she had been worried about her winter energy bills.
“I was starting to get worried coming up to the winter time with the big rise in energy bills that was coming and possibility of further increase in January,” she said.
She added: “It was tough, we managed but it wasn’t easy, especially as the bills are going up so much at the moment. What an amazing time to actually win.
“It means I get to pay off my mortgage and debts and still have some left over to treat myself which is great.
“To be in my mid 40s and debt free, I could never have imagined it. I just could not believe my luck. “
She is also planning a trip to North America to meet pals she has only ever spoken to online.
“I play Ark Survival Evolved and I play with a few people but I have two really good friends, one in Alberta, Canada and one in Texas,” she said.
“The first thing my friend in Canada said when I told her was; ‘so that means you can come and see me now?’”
She says her three-year-old “spoilt rotten” dog will also benefit from the win.
“He has quite a few allergies, bless him, he’s allergic to lamb, turkey and chicken, so getting him treats are usually quite expensive.
“He can have a stream of his favourite treats now. He will be extremely happy and I have already bought him a new harness and new toy.”
